From a young age, Jessica always looked for ways she could take action, to get involved and to give back to her community. While juggling a double major in Art History and Women’s Studies at Barnard College, Jessica worked to help women and men dealing with homelessness, volunteering and raising awareness and support.

Jessica’s mother, Carol Prins, described her as “an advocate for change,” who was “concerned with systemic inequality and social justice.”

Her passion as a self-identified feminist and her interest in nonprofit work brought Jessica to Chicago Foundation for Women as an intern in 1992.

After Jessica passed away in 1993, her legacy and her commitment to equal opportunities for women and girls live on through the Jessica Eve Patt Internship Fund at CFW. The creation of the internship fund at CFW was “fitting, since Jessica loved it so much,” says Carol, and “championed” the organization and its mission.

Since its creation, the Jessica Eve Patt Internship Fund has supported opportunities at CFW for twenty-three students, and played a role in the creation of a whole new generation of nonprofit leaders, activists and organizers.

Srilatha Lakkaraju interned with CFW in 2006 and described it as an “unforgettable” experience that made her “excited about my future career in the nonprofit sector.” She continues to use the lessons she learned about philanthropy as an intern at CFW as Vice President and Senior Philanthropic Relationship Manager at Bank of America.

Livier Gutierrez was a student at the University of Chicago during her internship, and has gone on to become Director of Violence Prevention at Enlace Chicago. She credits the Jessica Eve Patt Internship Fund with enhancing and enriching her experience at CFW, allowing her to more fully immerse herself in the internship thanks to a stipend provided by the fund.

Through a donor advised fund, Jessica’s family and friends ensure that Jessica’s memory and her values live on as a part of CFW’s future. CFW is proud to carry on her legacy and to create new opportunities for young women in her name.